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Forums - General Discussion - Which Is A Bigger Threat To Humanity? Science Or Religion?

CrazyGamer2017 said:
WolfpackN64 said:

You're confusing science with morality, reason and motivation. If you elevate science above it's problems and attribute these problems to other domains, then of course science is innocent.

Science in it's pure self IS innocent, but that's the case for religion as wel. The time for positivistic pure interpretations of science and other systems is over though. We ought to look at real world use cases and their consequences.

Our current modern world is under a lot more danger from scientific hubris then religious fanaticism. Some in the world of science think themselves as above ethics. This is dangerous.

You're the one mixing science with morality as you are trying to see morality in science. I don't elevate science above anything, science is above all those things you mention because science is knowledge, yet you are trying to describe science as if it had some kind of moral agenda which it has not.

Religion lays judgement on everything, including other religions, the very reason for religion to exist is to decide what is good and what is bad so religion CANNOT be pure or innocent, it INTRINSICALLY poses values and segregates different values.

Science is the fact of figuring out how things work, what matter and energy is, how combining different elements work etc. Science is INTRINSICALLY pure. NO ONE will kill you or force you to follow a path in the name of science, if they do, they do in the name of religion, politics, money, greed etc... But no one that is motivated by knowledge will want to force you to follow a path BECAUSE of knowledge itself.

This thread makes me realize that a lot of people don't understand what science really is, they think it has some kind of agenda like politics or religion has, when in fact it's quite the opposite. In fact the very title of this thread demonstrates a lack of understanding of what science is.

I'm not mixing them up. I'm stating there OUGHT TO BE morality in science. Disconnecting science from possible problems by shoving them in other fields is disingenious. You could say a problem created by a scientist is economic in origin. But that's a weak argument. Most societal elements (including religion) are influenced by this sphere. This also counts for the scientific sphere.

You're trying to decouple the pure scientific theory (which is in itself innocent) from the people who perform science. This is in no way grounded in any reality. Just as any scripture (religious or otherwise) can be seen as pure and harmless. It's the practical application that really determines the morality of the issue. Science and reason are ethereal concepts, they're grounded in reality and we should judge them based on practical application as we do with everything.



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Aeolus451 said:

You're treating science as some sort of dogmatic ideal. You're wrong as someone can be on this. It's a tool used to understand the unknown and to ultimately used to create things from our imagination. It's just a means to an end. It's not a quasi-religion that offers answers to everything and can solve everything. It depends entirely on the goal that they had in mind when they asked whatever question and tried to research into it, what comes from it. 

As human civilization and technology has advanced so has our ability to create wondrous and convenient things but on the other side of that, our ability to damage and pollute our environment has also increased. 

Wrong again, science is the OBJECTIVE pursue of knowledge and truth, it's everything but dogmatic, dogmas cannot be argued with or disproved as those holding dogmas do not accept questioning. Science is the opposite of that.

Also science is not a tool as you say, it's the search for what can be methodologically demonstrated. Those who use what science has produced as tools to pursue their own agendas are NOT motivated by science, they are motivated by greed, religion, politics etc....

It's really hard to discuss this because you guys don't understand what science is, the fact you compare it to religion or think that science is in itself some kind of political force with some kind of hidden agenda makes it difficult to discuss the issue.



Definitely religion because the survival of a religion depends on followers throwing away their skepticism which leads to dogmatism. Science, on the other hand, operates differently as it relies on empiricism. It is also flexible as conclusions can be changed based on new findings.



WolfpackN64 said:

I'm not mixing them up. I'm stating there OUGHT TO BE morality in science. Disconnecting science from possible problems by shoving them in other fields is disingenious. You could say a problem created by a scientist is economic in origin. But that's a weak argument. Most societal elements (including religion) are influenced by this sphere. This also counts for the scientific sphere.

You're trying to decouple the pure scientific theory (which is in itself innocent) from the people who perform science. This is in no way grounded in any reality. Just as any scripture (religious or otherwise) can be seen as pure and harmless. It's the practical application that really determines the morality of the issue. Science and reason are ethereal concepts, they're grounded in reality and we should judge them based on practical application as we do with everything.

Again the very words you use demonstrate you don't understand science. "The people who perform science"? What the hell does that mean?

People don't perform science cause science is KNOWLEDGE, Science is NOT a tool or a thing that you use, a gun is not science, the principles of compression of gasses inside a metal chamber full of a chemical powder producing a sudden expansion of gas that can project a lump of matter at high speed IS SCIENCE. The people who use those principles to build a gun and sell it to someone else that aims that gun at a person in order to kill that person, this is NOT SCIENCE it's politics, religion, greed etc.

The opposite of science is ignorance which is what religion feeds on and the fact we want to understand how the universe works is science and as soon as you try to gain power through knowledge you are NOT doing science anymore you are doing politics, religion, economy etc.

You're trying to accuse science of what religion, politics, greed, money etc.. are guilty of. The only motivation of science is knowledge. a country that bombs people to kill them is interested in POWER, not science, such a country does research in order to maintain their power cause they need better bombs than other countries, but it's POWER, POLITICS, RELIGION etc that motivates them. NO COUNTRY will EVER bomb another country cause that other country has better universities or a better education, it will bomb it cause it has better weapons and could invade you or a better economy which you want to take from them, or cause they don't follow your religion etc... But NEVER cause of better teachers or cause they have more curiosity in astrophysics than your country does.



CrazyGamer2017 said:
Aeolus451 said:

You're treating science as some sort of dogmatic ideal. You're wrong as someone can be on this. It's a tool used to understand the unknown and to ultimately used to create things from our imagination. It's just a means to an end. It's not a quasi-religion that offers answers to everything and can solve everything. It depends entirely on the goal that they had in mind when they asked whatever question and tried to research into it, what comes from it. 

As human civilization and technology has advanced so has our ability to create wondrous and convenient things but on the other side of that, our ability to damage and pollute our environment has also increased. 

Wrong again, science is the OBJECTIVE pursue of knowledge and truth, it's everything but dogmatic, dogmas cannot be argued with or disproved as those holding dogmas do not accept questioning. Science is the opposite of that.

Also science is not a tool as you say, it's the search for what can be methodologically demonstrated. Those who use what science has produced as tools to pursue their own agendas are NOT motivated by science, they are motivated by greed, religion, politics etc....

It's really hard to discuss this because you guys don't understand what science is, the fact you compare it to religion or think that science is in itself some kind of political force with some kind of hidden agenda makes it difficult to discuss the issue.

You're treated it as some kind of quasi-religion or dogmatic ideal. That's why I said that. By the way, you should look up what dogmatic means. I'm not saying it's a religion at all.  I hate when people try to make something seem that it's alot more than it really is. It's merely a means to an end. It's a tool or process used to research, invent and  create. It's always used with some goal in mind. 



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o_O.Q said:

"threats with mass destruction"

the effects we've had on the biodiversity of this planet i would say have been massively destructive... millions of species sacrificed for technological advancement

then there's also as i've mentioned before the potential that we'll destroy the planet through flooding it via global warming

there's also the nuclear disasters of the past and the possibility of nuclear war in the future

what do you think of these examples that have nothing to do with religion but arguable have more far reaching consequences including the possible destruction of the planet?

In fact nothing of that has to do with science itself but with the people using inventions quite selfishly. And we can't destroy 'the planet' with global warning, just ourselves. At the same time science might be the key for saving earth in case of a 'global killer' meteor or something like that.

 

One main problem actually is the 'make the earth subjugated' bullshit and other stuff like that.



CrazyGamer2017 said:
WolfpackN64 said:

I'm not mixing them up. I'm stating there OUGHT TO BE morality in science. Disconnecting science from possible problems by shoving them in other fields is disingenious. You could say a problem created by a scientist is economic in origin. But that's a weak argument. Most societal elements (including religion) are influenced by this sphere. This also counts for the scientific sphere.

You're trying to decouple the pure scientific theory (which is in itself innocent) from the people who perform science. This is in no way grounded in any reality. Just as any scripture (religious or otherwise) can be seen as pure and harmless. It's the practical application that really determines the morality of the issue. Science and reason are ethereal concepts, they're grounded in reality and we should judge them based on practical application as we do with everything.

Again the very words you use demonstrate you don't understand science. "The people who perform science"? What the hell does that mean?

People don't perform science cause science is KNOWLEDGE, Science is NOT a tool or a thing that you use, a gun is not science, the principles of compression of gasses inside a metal chamber full of a chemical powder producing a sudden expansion of gas that can project a lump of matter at high speed IS SCIENCE. The people who use those principles to build a gun and sell it to someone else that aims that gun at a person in order to kill that person, this is NOT SCIENCE it's politics, religion, greed etc.

The opposite of science is ignorance which is what religion feeds on and the fact we want to understand how the universe works is science and as soon as you try to gain power through knowledge you are NOT doing science anymore you are doing politics, religion, economy etc.

You're trying to accuse science of what religion, politics, greed, money etc.. are guilty of. The only motivation of science is knowledge. a country that bombs people to kill them is interested in POWER, not science, such a country does research in order to maintain their power cause they need better bombs than other countries, but it's POWER, POLITICS, RELIGION etc that motivates them. NO COUNTRY will EVER bomb another country cause that other country has better universities or a better education, it will bomb it cause it has better weapons and could invade you or a better economy which you want to take from them, or cause they don't follow your religion etc... But NEVER cause of better teachers or cause they have more curiosity in astrophysics than your country does.

I'm not trying to accuse anything. I'm just trying to show you that science isn't in itself meaningful without scientists, without practical applications. Science isn't a divine principle that's ellevated above anything else. You give attributes to science that contradict your statement. People can seek knowledge through science. Science can't seek anything. Science itself is a vat of knowledge we can tap into, but Sciense IS NOT knowledge. Purely theoretical, these concepts are not one and the same.

But this is quite useless, so we have to look at practical applications. What I'm asking you is to look at reality, not at ideals, which is what you're ellevating science to by completely decoupling it from it's practical applications.



The both combined in certain hands can be either a blessing or a recipe for disaster...



fatslob-:O said:
Qwark said:

Science since its responsible for the industrialisation of our world and the consumption society we live in. Which will be eventually our downfall, just a matter of time. Also without any 19 and 20th century science war could never destroyed the planet. Just a matter of time before the third world war for water and arable grounds and nutrients will start, with out linear production cycle an ever growing population of humans and humanity's gigantic urge to destroy their own environment (like every other  oppuetnustic species though). And if that doesn't destroy us I doubt humanity is strong enough to live trough a new ice age. He'll most of us including me couldnt live three days without electricity.

Realistically speaking it's our growth in consumption that will outstrip our growth in population and that's the bigger issue IMO since people want higher standards of living ... 

@Topic 

Science has yet to reach it's greatest power of them all, beyond the creation of biological or nuclear weapons but rather the manipulation of cosmos while religion is no more than a social construct ... 

Science is near absolute power and religion is just a bunch of platitudes ... 

It's pretty much a formula population x living standard. Divided by a sustainable production factor is our humanity footprint. Which already exceeds the earth's potential to feed us. And because of that  the potential of our planet to feed us is also declining due to deforestation, nutrient depletion, waste, desertation, pollutants and climate change. Which decrease the ammount of arable soil and the availability of clean water. But population and living standards are both very important, but if people would at least produce in a circular way instead of a linear way the sustainable production factor would grow imensely. If 3 billion people died because of a new deadly virus or become inpotent it would also take a huge chunk out of the current footprint we have on earth, same if people would simply consume only what they need.



Please excuse my (probally) poor grammar

Aeolus451 said:

You're treated it as some kind of quasi-religion or dogmatic ideal. That's why I said that. By the way, you should look up what dogmatic means. I'm not saying it's a religion at all.  I hate when people try to make something seem that it's alot more than it really is. It's merely a means to an end. It's a tool or process used to research, invent and  create. It's always used with some goal in mind. 

I'm only trying to make you and others understand that science is not a force with an agenda like politics and religion are. Science simply means knowledge and knowledge is above politics, religion, capitalism and all those forces that have a specific agenda. It's very ironic that you say I treat science as a quasi-religion because science is EVERYTHING religion is not.

You don't understand what science is since you keep saying it's merely a means to an end or a tool. Science is the pursue of truth through methodology. When you look at the moon, if you think it's up there by magic or cause it's a God you are the victim of religion and ignorance. But the second you start thinking about why the moon exists, how does it stay up there without falling, when and how did it form, you are doing science, when you apply methodology and experiment to figure out the truth behind the existence and state of the moon, you are using science because you seek the true nature of the universe you are doing science. That has NOTHING to do with those who use technology to invade other countries or to impose their religion or to obtain economic dominance, those people have a specific agenda of greed, they have no desire to understand the universe, they merely wish power, money, dominion of all sorts.

The difference between science and religion/politics/power is like day and night and it's sad so many people still don't understand that.